Song of the Eastern Sands
Song of the Eastern Sands is a side webcomic written by Alex Kain, Rachel Bennett and illustrated by Jerome Jacinto.A Little Teaser... Song of the Eastern Sands ran from October 24, 2015 to October 15, 2016.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 45 After the release of Page 20, Song of the Eastern Sands went on a three-week hiatus in order to ensure a decent page buffer for a timely update schedule. Each week featured a short story written by Alex Kain showcasing certain characters.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 19- Alex's Commentary Song of the Eastern Sands takes place a few days after the events of Chapter TwoSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 17- Alex's Commentary and the final page segues directly into the opening of Chapter Three.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 45- Alex's Commentary Intended to reveal a lighter side to the world of Dunia,Song of the Eastern Sands (Teaser 2) especially after the tone of Chapter Two,Garrett Simpson, Alex Kain Interview Song of the Eastern Sands has an entirely different cast in a new location, but is still connected to the storyline of Beyond the Western Deep.A Little Teaser...Song of the Eastern Sands (Teaser 2) Song of the Eastern Sands was also intended to provide a break for Rachel because she followed the strenuous weekly update schedule of Beyond the Western Deep for three years with very few breaks.A Little Teaser... However, she did the lettering for Song of the Eastern Sands to ensure consistency with Beyond the Western Deep.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 12- Rachel's Comment: January 20, 2016, 8:29 pm Cover Page The four protagonists converse under an archway.Song of the Eastern Sands, Cover Page Synopsis Beck distracts a merchantSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 4 while Asha tries to pick the lock.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 5 Unable to pick the complicated Felis lock,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 7 the Sand Spiders make off with the chest,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 10 which they open back in the safety of their headquarters.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 15 After toasting to their success,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 16 Theo tell the other Spiders he has a new job for them that night at the Sunsgrovian Embassy.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 17 Theo claims that the guards will be busy for tonight only,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 18 but admits that their informant is anonymous, as always. The Sand Spiders are hesitant,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 19 but while all have reservations, they all agree to the job.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 20 That night, they slip into the EmbassySong of the Eastern Sands, Page 21 and reach the treasury without incident.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 22- Alex's Commentary After bagging the treasure,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 25 they exit the treasurySong of the Eastern Sands, Page 25 and find the corpses of two guards outside the door. After a horrified pause, Beck tells the others they need to leave now.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 26 Knowing they would be beheaded if found and blamed for the murders, the Spiders continue their escape, and hear screaming and pleading from a courtyard.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 27 The Spiders observe two Canid assassins killing more Sunsgrovians.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 28 Beck leaps into the room and smashes her bag of amber drops into an assassin's face, bursting it open. Rook claims a fallen sword and faces the remaining assassin.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 29 Rook is quickly overpowered Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 30 Asha attacks the Canid, who turns on her, but Rook kicks him in the knee before he can hurt her, stopping the attack.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 31 The assassin flees out the window and Asha gives chaseSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 32 across several rooftops.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 33 When she catches up to the Canid, she headbutts himSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 34 and knocks him out.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 35 Rook and Beck help the diplomats that survived the attack,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 36 one of whom asks the Sand Spiders to find his daughter, who is coming to the Embassy from Terria.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 37 The Spiders are reluctant and try to calm him down, but then he offers to pay them anything.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 38 They accept the Ambassador's offer and meet back at the Abadis Tavern.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 39 The Spiders realize they were supposed to take the fall for the murders of the Sunsgrovian ambassadors, and are now being targeted by the Canid for their interference.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 40 Tabitha forbids Asha from going north with Rook and Beck,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 42 but Theo comforts her by telling her that he'll get her the new lockpicks, and asks Beck and Rook to be carefulSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 43 because it sounds like the Ambassador's daughter is in for a lot of trouble.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 45 Summary The Marketplace The scene opens at the crowded marketplace of Nessa.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 1 The focus shifts to a Tamian merchant selling amber jewelry. He holds a pendent up for the potential customers to eye, asking them to note the way it catches the light.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 2 A Lutren named Beck challenges the merchant, citing rumors that amber is nothing more than 'hardened treesap.' The merchant counters these claims by noting that the amber comes from trees holy to the Tamian and that the highest quality becomes currency.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 3 Beck announces she has been converted and asks for the price. The merchant offers her a discount of three hundred silvers. Shocked, Beck claims the discount is minimal.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 4 The merchant offers to get a smaller necklace from his tent, at which point the Lutren offers to buy all of his wares. Shocked by the offer, the merchant does not see the Ermehn picking the lock on the chest in his tent.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 5 Beck holds the merchant's attention while the Ermehn keeps picking the lock.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 6 A Polcan named Rook bursts in to check on her progress, asking what's taking so long. The Ermehn points out the lock is Felis-made, and thus tricky.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 7 Realizing Beck cannot distract the merchant forever,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 8 Rook and the Ermehn grab the chest and run. Snatching the amber necklace she admired, Beck flees with them.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 10 Abadis Tavern At a tavern in the slums of Nessa, Theo and Tabitha, the barkeep, await the return of the thieves. Tabitha notes that they are late, to which Theo expresses no concern.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 11 Tabitha asks if Theo has gotten her daughter- the Ermehn thief named Asha- into trouble. Theo gives a non answer and comments that he is only drinking his tea. Growing enraged, Tabitha begins to threaten Theo, only to be interrupted by the return of Asha and the others.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 12 Tabitha happily greets her daughter while Theo dryly points out that the group is late. Rook tells Tabitha that Asha had trouble with the lock, and Tabitha asks Asha if it was a Felis lock.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 13 Asha replies in the affirmative, prompting Theo to comment that they need to purchase Asha some updated lockpicks. Beck cracks the chest open with her knife, noting that they should be able to afford them after this job.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 14 The chest is filled with amber and coins, which Theo describes as a "nice haul" and he tells his compatriots to sit and drink.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 15 Theo proposes a toast to The Sand Spiders.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 16 After the toast, Theo informs the group that there is another job for themSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 16 that night at Sunsgrovian Embassy,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 17 specifically, the well-guarded treasure room. Rook asks about the heavy guards and Theo says they will be occupied tonight. Beck asks whySong of the Eastern Sands, Page 18 and Theo admits he does not know, but has only heard the guards will be busy. Rook asks where he heard it, and Theo reveals the source is the same nameless informant as always. The Sand Spiders look at him suspiciously.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 19 Theo asks for their opinions. Asha expresses cautious optimism, Rook is hesitant, and after a moment of silence Beck admits she really wants the money.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 20 Theo is pleased at Beck's rationale.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 20- Alex's Commentary The Heist After the moon rises, Beck, Asha and Rook scale a tree to enter the Sunsgrovian Embassy through a window.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 21 Security is very light.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 21- Alex's Commentary Slipping past a single pair of guards, The Spiders reach the treasury, and Asha begins to pick the lock.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 22- Alex's Commentary When Asha gets the door open, the Spiders slip inside the treasury. They are stunned at the wealth of the treasury.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 23 The Sand Spiders collect the loot and stuff it into empty sacks. Beck addresses the other Spiders,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 24 and reminds them that the job's only half over and that they still have to sneak past the guards with sacks full of coins. The other Spiders respond with confidence, and Beck opens the doorSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 25 revealing the corpses of the two guards in the hallway. After a horrified pause, Beck tells the others they need to leave immediately.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 26 The Attack Asha asks what would happen if they are caught, and Rook tells her that while thieves lose their hands, murderers lose their heads. Beck shoulders a bag and tells the others they are leaving. As they start down the hallway, they hear screaming and pleading from a courtyard.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 27 The Spiders see a pair of Canid assassins attacking more Sunsgrovians. A Tamian diplomat asks the Canid why they are attacking, but they give no reply and continue the attack.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 28 Beck leaps into the room and smashes her bag of amber drops into an assassin's face, bursting it open. Rook claims a fallen sword and faces the remaining assassin.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 29 Rook taunts the assassin, but is quickly overpowered by a disarming move that lands him on the floor. Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 30 Asha swings her bag of coins at the assassin, but he blocks her attack and pulls her off balance, intending to kill her, but Rook kicks the assassin in the knee, briefly disabling him.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 31 The assassin flees, and Beck asks him where he's going. Asha follows him out the window Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 32 and chases him across several rooftops.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 33 The Canid draws a knife to throw at Asha, but she leaps on him and headbutts him,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 34 knocking him out. Asha is pleased with herself until her head starts to ache.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 35 Ambassador Rowan Meanwhile, Rook looks out the window after Asha,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 35 and considers following Asha. Beck tells him Asha can hold her own, and asks him to help her with the injured diplomats. Rook reminds Beck they don't have time. Beck agrees, but tells him they're going to do it anyway. One diplomat stares into the distance, traumatized by the sudden attack.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 36 Beck snaps her fingers in front of his face to get his attention, asking if he is alright. The diplomat breaks out of his stupor and immediately asks Beck to find his daughter, Janik, who is on her way to Nessa from Terria.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 37 Doubtful, Beck tells the ambassador that Terria is a long way away. The ambassador persists, insisting she could be in danger. He claims the Canid have lost their minds. Rebuffing Rook's attempt to calm him down, the ambassador offers to pay the Sand Spiders anything. After a pause,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 38 Beck tells the ambassador they are listening.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 39 Down Payment Back at the Abadis Tavern, Theo complements the Spiders on a good haul. Beck claims it's more of a down payment, because calling it a haul makes it sound like stolen goods. Asha, her head bandaged, asks why Ambassador Rowan asked the Spiders to help him.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 39 Beck says that the ambassador thought she worked for the Embassy, and Tabitha points out that since she accepted the ambassador's offer, she technically does. Theo comments that the assassins will be after the Spiders now as well, and guesses the Spiders were deliberately left in the dark about the attack so they would take the fall.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 40 Tabitha remarks that she always tells the Sand Spiders to avoid politics, but they never listen to her. Asha asks if she thinks this assassination was political,Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 41 and Theo tells her that all assassinations are political. He reminds Beck and Rook that they need to hurry, as Janik is the next target, and Tabitha forbids Asha from going with Beck and Rook.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 42 Theo comforts Asha by reminding her that he'll get her the new lockpicks and that he'll have plenty for her to do in Nessa. He asks Beck and Rook to be carefulSong of the Eastern Sands, Page 43 because it sounds like the Ambassador's daughter is in for a lot of trouble.Song of the Eastern Sands, Page 45 References Category:Canon Category:Song of the Eastern Sands Category:Real World